The total neurovascular stent market includes both traditional neurovascular stents and flow diversion stents. There will a slight decrease in market value of the neurovascular stent market due to price decreases from competitive pressure in the stent market and in other new medical devices for the treatment of aneurysms.

Traditional stents are experiencing a slight decline in units sold due to the cannibalization of the market by flow diverter stents. The use of the latter is becoming more popular than stent assisted coiling which is limiting the growth in the traditional stent market. Approximately 1.1 stents are used per stenting procedure, as a small percentage of patients require multiple stents.

Flow diverter stents will continue to experience low growth; however, they will also face competition from new products posed to enter the market. These increases in unit sales will also be driven by innovation in these devices making them smaller and able to place in more distal locations.

The price of the flow diverter stents is significantly higher than the price of traditional stents and will remain high over the forecast period. Both types of stents will experience a reduction in their ASP due to competitive pressure. There are heavy price pressures seen with the stents, as smaller new entrants enter the market with significantly lower prices. The flow diverter stent will decrease at a slightly quicker rate since it is currently at such a high price premium and will need to stay competitive with innovative new products. Over the forecast period, the flow diverter stents will make up a larger portion of the market than the traditional stents. This trend will continue unless more evidence arises to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of traditional stents.

There are two main types of neurovascular stents currently on the market, the traditional stent and the flow diverter stent. They are both used as treatments for cerebral aneurysms.

Traditional neurovascular stents are small, flexible, tube-like devices used for stabilizing detachable coils within an aneurysm. They serve to block off the aneurysm and to prevent coils from slipping back into the main blood vessel. These stents are also used to treat intracranial stenosis by opening blocked arteries.

These stents are delivered in reduced tube structures for easier navigation and delivery through the narrow intracranial vessels. As brain arteries are more fragile than carotid arteries, a self-expanding stent that gently opens to the desired vessel diameter is generally used. Self-expandable stents carry a lower risk of dissection or vessel rupture when compared to the balloon-expandable stents.